I won’t pile on about how our “leaders” in D.C. fucked up their chance to truly lead; it’s too easy to do so, and so many have done it better.

We — my husband of 39 years — and I have been abiding by CDC practices, and using disinfecting wipes at the stores at which we shop, as well as at our health club. We’ve been doing that since he returned from 10 days in Italy, on February 7th. He was sick with the flu, had been since the day before his departure from Milan (his work had him traveling from Abruzzo to Milan and near Venice, mostly northern Italy). Two days later I had the same symptoms: sore throat, headache, body aches. In 24 hours my illness progressed to where I was sleeping as much as I could, suffered temperature spikes (I did not take it; I know when I have a fever). My inability to regulate my temperature was especially concerning; because I couldn’t control it, couldn’t predict when my fever would spike, or how long it would last, and how long I’d have to endure this very physical, debilitating ordeal. I avoided NSAIDS and welcomed the hot toddy my husband made me.

Three days later I was well enough to be ambulatory and mingle among others. And after a week we were reading about how the COVID-19 virus was affecting Iran and northern Italy, and began washing our hands more often, following the advice the CDC and/or other scientific authorities were suggesting.

And then it got worse and worse and worse. Here we are, reader, late Monday evening, realizing that “social distancing” isn’t enough, that our Governor has ordered bars closed, restaurants halving their capacities, and people 65 + years old stay in. Six Bay Area counties (adjacent to mine, but not mine) have “Shelter in Place” rules — voluntary, right now. Could that change? We’ll see.

Stay what? Where? Really? We *have* to leave the house daily, if for nothing else, to walk the dogs. And these dogs need to be walked/run/worked out frequently. Sometimes, they’re the only reason I get out of bed, until later in the day, when the gloom, like the California Central Coast’s “June Gloom,” lifts and I find motivation.

So I’m treating this particular viral pandemic as if I have it, and I don’t want to infect others. Therefore, I will venture into stores for purchases/services only when absolutely necessary. I suppose that includes my professional nails and hair enhancements, dagnabbit.

Doing what we can to help businesses adversely affected by this pandemic, and sorry we can’t do more. Wash your hands, people.